Dillon's Russian Steam Bath

Dillon's Russian Steam Bath has operated out of the same spot on Chestnut Street in Chelsea since 1885, making it the oldest steam bath still running in the United States. The place is built around a single, simple ritual: sit in a high-heat steam chamber where the upper benches run close to 180 degrees, cool off with a sponge dipped in a cold bucket, and repeat. A separate traditional wet steam room, plenty of showers, a snack bar, a TV, and a lounge with comfortable chairs round out the space for people who want to stretch the visit out.

The signature add-on is the platza, an oil rub performed with a broom of oak leaves soaked in hot soapy water, brushed over the body by a masseur. Oil rubs without the platza are also offered in half-hour and hour versions. None of this requires advance planning beyond checking which hours apply, since the schedule is split by gender: Mondays from 2 to 9pm are reserved for women, while Tuesday through Sunday the bath runs men-only.

Lisa Rizzo has owned and run the business since 1999, when she took it over at 30 after her husband's death; the Monday women's night, now more than 20 years running, was something he started. The business is cash-only — no credit cards — and parking is available behind the building on Cherry Street. At $40 for a two-hour admission plus a $24 platza, it's a straightforward, old-school sweat with none of the spa-resort trimmings.